Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence

COP26 and its Potential Impact on the Developing World: Discussion

Mr. Yousaf Jogezai:

Chairman, Deputies and Senators, greetings from Malawi, the warm heart of Africa. I would like to begin by recognising the commitments made at COP26 yesterday by the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin. Alongside the very significant financial commitments was an equally significant commitment, namely, that climate justice be at the centre of all our efforts. The Taoiseach said "Countries and communities struggling to cope already must have our support."

I am speaking to the members today from Malawi and I want to share with them some of the realities here and also some good news but, first, I will deal with the realities. Climate change, climate variability and climate related extreme events are having huge negative impacts on Malawi’s economy and the general livelihood of its population. The country has in the recent past experienced erratic rainfall, severe floods and droughts. It is worth noting that Malawi’s economy is mainly based on rain-fed agriculture, with the sector providing employment and livelihoods to more than 80% of the population, which is based in rural areas. Malawi was in March 2019 hit by Cyclone Idai, which left a devastating path of destruction, close to 2 million people were affected and hundreds were killed. Total effects are estimated at more than $370 million with severe damage to roads, bridges, houses, power lines, irrigation infrastructure and, sadly, to crops which were nearing maturity.

It is sometimes hard to take in hard facts and figures and, therefore, I want to share with the members a story about a lady we have worked with. Her name is Sifati James. She and her family of seven children and two parents were devastated when raging winds and rains from Cyclone Idai hit their home. Her house was completely demolished and she lost all her belongings plus the little food she had remaining. Before the disaster, Sifati and her family were expecting a good maize harvest but the floodwaters destroyed their half acre of land and garden that day, further plunging the family into a precarious situation.

Climate related events like these are only going to increase in severity in the future. Malawi is facing a number of challenges that increase its vulnerability to climate change, including high population growth, dependence on rain-fed agriculture and high rates of undernutrition and stunting in young children. That said, the good news is that people like Sifati are able to improve their situation in the face of a changing climate. Following the cyclone, Sifati, with support from Concern funded by Irish Aid and other donors, received a package of support, which enabled her to get back on her feet. A cash donation and farming inputs enabled her to meet both her immediate needs and helped her invest in the farm and grow crops to replace the lost harvest, and thousands like her have received similar assistance.

However, such support to help counter shocks and build back better is not always available. In May this year one of Concern’s climate adaptation programmes suddenly had its funding cut, which meant more than 350,000 people were immediately left without support. Climate related funding has too often been unpredictable and erratic. It should not be like this. At COP15 in Copenhagen 2009, governments around the world made a commitment to allocate $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing countries address the impacts of climate change. However, this commitment has never been met. In response to this unreliable funding situation, Concern has joined with other members of civil society as well as the Malawian Government to call on OECD countries to meet their $100 billion commitment and ensure it reaches the countries most affected.

High income countries announced their plan for meeting the $100 billion commitment this week, but this plan only goes part of the way to addressing the problem. Adaptation has received significantly less funding than mitigation despite a clear and urgent need to adapt to impacts that we are already seeing. Climate finance is also not being effectively targeted at the most climate vulnerable countries.

People like Sifati are already experiencing the worst effects of climate change. They have done the least to cause the problem and yet they are suffering the most. This is deeply unfair, unjust and disproportionate.

Ireland’s leadership, commitment and, above all, its emphasis on climate justice will be critically important in the coming days, weeks and months. Yesterday, the Taoiseach called for a narrative of hope with a focus on solutions and on what we can achieve when we work together. Concern stands ready to help contribute to those solutions by working together in a spirit of hope.

Building on the commitments made today, Ireland can, and I am sure, will be an ever stronger advocate on the issues of greatest importance for those countries and communities most affected, namely, pressing for the delivery of adequate, appropriate, accessible quality funding for adaptation and loss and damage. I thank the members for their time and for this opportunity.